The White House, now unconcerned about the effect on gas prices and inflation, blacklisted two of Russia’s biggest oil producers and nearly 200 tanker ships.

The Group of Seven democracies have sought to crimp Russia’s oil export earnings that help fund the war against Ukraine.

Oil rose to $80 per barrel, the highest level since October, as the US announced new sanctions against Russia.

In the capital of Transnistria, a Kremlin-backed microstate sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine, the festive New Year’s lights have gone dark ahead of schedule. This separatist sliver of Moldova will run out of energy in three weeks,

Every time planned electrical outages are imposed on his village in southern Moldova, 73-year-old retiree Vasili Donici passes the time by solving crosswords and puzzles in a room he illuminates using a small gas lamp.

Oil prices jumped more than 4% on Friday, with global benchmark Brent breaking $80 per barrel for the first time since October on fears that tougher U.S. sanctions on Russia will disrupt crude supplies.

Oil prices rallied nearly 3% to their highest in three months on Friday as traders braced for supply disruptions from the broadest U.S. sanctions package targeting Russian oil and gas revenue. The Biden administration on Friday imposed fresh sanctions targeting Russian oil producers,